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Sony Hi-MD MZ-M100 Review

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Well I've owned the unit now for about a week and here are my observations. There's good and bad so I guess I'll get the bad off my chest right away. First of all this thing cost me four hundred bucks and I know I voluntarily paid an extra hundred because I just had to have that Organic Electro Luminescent Display rather than an LCD but even considering that - I really expected something better than the extremely easily scratched and marred plastic that this thing is made of. My original MD was an MZ-R35 which is a metal tank. I know it was barely a pant's pocket model, let alone shirt pocket. So I appreciate that Sony designers are trying to keep the weight down and they have done a decent job (I've already drop tested my MZ-M100 and unlike the old MZ-R35 it came through without a dent. Maybe I just need to start looking at scratches as 'battle damage' equivalent to dents but I can't help but handle the M100 as if it were some delecate instrument. Aside from that, it is the first minidisc unit that I can truly say qualifies as shirt pocket capable but that beautiful black mirror finish lasted less than half an hour.

Second negative: the software. I probably really don't need to go into this as all of you are most likely completely aware of the shortcomings of Sonic Stage. I'm a seasoned veteran and I should have known better but in my excited zeal to make my first seven hour minidisc (and see if I could fit every Beatles Album onto a single Hi-SP recording) I somehow allowed Sonic Stage to take control of MY music. So now I've got all of those Beatles albums onto MD but they're gone from the hard drive because I didn't have a single box checked (should have read the manual) and I can't put them back onto the hard drive without turning off the write protection of the minidisc. I'm afraid that after I have done that all of that music will suddenly belong to Sonic Stage rather than me and sooner or later I'll want to listen to it and Sonic Stage will tell me there's a DRM problem. So, no news here but it still sucks. I was interested in the notion that I could upload stuff to WAV files and I can (I finally figured out how) but I can't record optically, has to be analog and it has to be a PCM recording meaning I need to use a Hi-MD formatted disc to do it and I can't upload all of my old MD's that were mostly analog copies of old LP's and such that I wanted to upload to store a WAV files so no help in that regard.

I previously read all of the reviews before purchase and I noted that some had complained about the same things as I have and they had also complained about a couple of other things. One of them was the 'impossibly' small buttons on the unit. After a week I'll have to say that I have no complaints in the control design of the unit. The buttons are tiny but they fit right below your thumb and all that is needed is a slight press. They have a tactile click that you can feel. My last unit was an MZ-N707 and it has a rocker button rather than a jog dial. it has oter buttons in a vertical row below that after several years of ownership I still could not tell you which does which without looking. The M100 has very few buttons and a beloved jog dial so I have no complaints in this regard.

So what about the good?

Well, the PCM recordings are pretty friggin' awesome. The only drawback is that they spoil you. But it's also really nice to be able to put a specific bands entire collection on a single Hi-SP disc (okay, the Stones will take two discs). I did some recordings with the mic that comes with the unit and I was really surprised at how well they came out. I've also done some data transfers and that feature works well too (thankfully it doesn't require Sonic Stage)

The Electro Luminescent Display is Way cool (almost worth the $100 premium) LCD's are soooo passe

The Jog dial, did I already mention that? A gift from heaven.

The unit is light and it's small. Not like an iPod Nano of course but an iPod Nano does none of the things that an M100 does so it's apples to oranges.

Aside from the facia the quality is there in this unit, you just have to get past the plastic which, in all reality works and protects the vitals better than a metal case would. I have no idea what this thing is going to look like after a year on the battlefield but I guess if it still works - who cares?

Oh, one other thing. I know Sony wanted to differentiate the Hi-MD stuff but what is with the big boxes? They're almost as big as mini DV tapes. I mean, isn't the whole idea supposed to be small? Where am I supposed to store all of these huge Hi-MD boxes?

Okay, that's my report - so far

kcabpilot

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...in all reality works and protects the vitals better than a metal case would. I have no idea what this thing is going to look like after a year on the battlefield but I guess if it still works - who cares

I'd like to know what you mean by this statement... is it because metal gets dings & dents that can't be fixed easily and plastic can 'give' a little when dropped? Also, if you want to see your unit a year from now, here's a close estimate (my RH10 after MUCH MUCH use - I used it EVERY day and have had it since nearly it came out)

IPB Image

You may notice I use a Palm Pilot screen protector to cover the OLED area... not very attractive in daylight, but worth the protection, and can't even be seen in lower lighting conditions. I also have a piece of electric tape protecting the ever-so-fragile battery door... not sure how the M100's door is, the RH10 uses a gumstick battery.

IPB Image

As far as the face/finish goes, I'm rather surprised... I've been pretty rough with this unit (throw in pocket all the time, dropped before a little, still has that shiny surface and no real visible scratches on the FACE. The back and rounded edges are another story:

IPB Image

Then there is the scratched up chrome top:

IPB Image

The Electro Luminescent Display is Way cool (almost worth the $100 premium) LCD's are soooo passe

I couldn't agree with you more, which is why I paid the extra 100 for the RH10. That display kicks butt.

Oh, one other thing. I know Sony wanted to differentiate the Hi-MD stuff but what is with the big boxes? They're almost as big as mini DV tapes. I mean, isn't the whole idea supposed to be small? Where am I supposed to store all of these huge Hi-MD boxes?

Another point I agree, which is why I think those crystal blue hi-md discs are so attractive (they are the newer released versions of hi-md discs). The long-box cases are so darn rediculous I threw them out right away.

IPB Image

Enjoy the unit, I think you'll like it the more you rely on it. :D

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Yes, thanks for the pics blueraja. Seems like the rH10 is actually tougher than a lot of us thought at first. I've pretty much kept it under wraps since I bought it 3 or 4 months months back, for fear of spoiling that lovely shiny finish. I feel more confident now about talking it out and about a bit more now... :)

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I'd like to know what you mean by this statement... is it because metal gets dings & dents that can't be fixed easily and plastic can 'give' a little when dropped?

blueraja

yeah that's kind of what I meant. I'm not a big fan of plastic but it is lighter and able to take the impact of a drop without deforming or cracking. I have to admit that the plastics of today are much more sophistocated than those of years ago. I have begun to notice that the clear plastic facia on the M100 is much more robust and scratch resistant than I had assumed. I'm still experimenting with record settings and hookups. I bought a Creative PCMCIA sound card for my laptop and tried some optical recordings of Rhapsody streams but I'm not entirely happy with it. It has a lot of noise and won't pick up any track marks. I've gotten better results just capturing the same thing from my desktop computer running analog through my old Sansui Stereo to the minidisk.

I still have a wish list though and on top would be - wireless earbuds!

I don't know how to post a picture other than as an attachment

[attachmentid=935]

post-19015-1129337733_thumb.jpg

Edited by kcabpilot
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  • 2 weeks later...

mz-m100 sound quality and mp3 transfer

oct 25, 2005.. hey guys, and thanks for the reviews and info you've shared..

was particularly interested in knowing how the live recording sounds when you might be recording in an environment with very loud concert-hall accoustics. does the bass overpower? does the high-pitch sounds overpower the bass?

particularly, the bass reproduction.. how does this come through, please? anyone have any experience on this aspect yet?

also.. cab.. was interested in the sonicstage comments you had.. i'm not yet familiar with sonicstage, but was wondering if i already have my mp3 files created on my laptop, will i have to play them back in "real-time" to transfer them to the mz-m100? or do they have to go thru the sonicstage software?..

what will be the procedure on this..

thanks kindly for your time and attention when you get this.. i'll be most grateful for any insights or suggestions you have..

getting ready to see what anyone else had to say about the rh unit.. hadn't heard of this till now..

any comparisons with the rh-10? is that right, and the mz-m100..

ok... well... looking forward to anybody's help on these, too..

bye,

--tim

Edited by frisbee101
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  • 2 months later...

I too have gone the extra $100. for the lighted screen, since i am usually using the MZM100 at night to record live sessions with my band - all the music is through line in (not the mike) and the quality is absolutely awesome.

My first HiMD was the MZNH1 which I thought was horrible. After it failed, sony sent me an RH-10 as a replacement, but as that was a refurb, it too failed and to their credit (this is after the nh1 was 9 months old already) they sent me back my $299.99 cash!

This was great as I used it and an extra $100 to get the MZM100 and I am thrilled with it. I get spectacular live recordings of the band and can immediately upload onto the Mac - edit right away in Cubase or Peak. It's the greatest. I'm so glad they came out with this Mac compatible unit before dumping the MD format. Thanks sony for the $300. back and this unit.

I have only done a few recordings of my Steinway grand piano with the supplied stereo mike, but i have to say I am equally impressed witht the quality of these recordings right off the bat.

I posted another topic re: using the 40ELK remote with this unit. (major complaint is that the supplied remote is useless) - the 40 ELK seems to work well in all aspects except i can't get it to display time remaining. Anyone figure out if this is possible wit the 40 ELK and MZM100?

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Hi,

I just bought a M100 and I was quite happy with it until I tried to charge the battery that came with the unit. It simply won't charge.

Can I kindly direct you to this thread of mine?

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=13810

(I hope it's not rude to mention my problem in a review thread, but I couldn't find the proper place to utter my desperation. Thank you.)

Edited by Berke
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The Electro Luminescent Display is Way cool (almost worth the $100 premium) LCD's are soooo passe

Can we get a pic of it in direct sunlight (or at least some words about it in direct sunlight?). Others have mentioned that it's not it's strong point, but I've never actually seen a pic of the display under those conditions.

BTW, 100 bucks buys you a Hi-MD unit in MD Commoditization Land (Australia) ;)

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Here's a pic I took showing the unit in BRIGHT DAYLIGHT. In other words, the sun is not DIRECTLY hitting it (I'm in the car), but it is a BRIGHT SUNNY DAY, and it may help you understand a bit... if the sun is DIRECTLY on the unit, like you're out on a soccer field at noon, it's a bit more difficult to see, and you man need to cup it w/ your hand a tad... but believe me you can see this 90% of the time with no difficulty, whereas the STANDARD screens w/out backlight I'd say you can see 40% of the time.

The "Idle" brightness as I call is when the unit is in regular mode while it is playing, etc... the "active" brightness is a stronger kick it gets whenever you push a button, scroll, etc, then it goes back to idle in a few seconds. There is no way to set it to active all the time, but trust me, the idle (standard) brightness is still awesome. I hope this helps.

IPB Image

Edited by theblueraja
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Here's a pic I took showing the unit in BRIGHT DAYLIGHT. In other words, the sun is not DIRECTLY hitting it (I'm in the car), but it is a BRIGHT SUNNY DAY...

Thanks for the pic, BUT :) how would it cope with direct sunlight hitting the display. For instance, an outdoor event, MD on a flat surface, sun at midday? You get the idea. Would the text on screen be legible? Or would I have to shadow the display to be able to see it reliably?

Not that I'm in the market to buy the unit, just general curiosity on how the display copes in full sunlight.

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Thanks for the pic, BUT :) how would it cope with direct sunlight hitting the display. For instance, an outdoor event, MD on a flat surface, sun at midday? You get the idea. Would the text on screen be legible? Or would I have to shadow the display to be able to see it reliably?

Not that I'm in the market to buy the unit, just general curiosity on how the display copes in full sunlight.

Um... did you read my entire post? I'll quote myself to answer your question:

"if the sun is DIRECTLY on the unit, like you're out on a soccer field at noon, it's a bit more difficult to see, and you man need to cup it w/ your hand a tad... "

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Um... did you read my entire post? I'll quote myself to answer your question:

"if the sun is DIRECTLY on the unit, like you're out on a soccer field at noon, it's a bit more difficult to see, and you man need to cup it w/ your hand a tad... "

yep, sorry. Your 90% figure right after that made me think "is it necessary or isn't it necessary?". Understood, cheers.

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yep, sorry. Your 90% figure right after that made me think "is it necessary or isn't it necessary?". Understood, cheers.

...and I just noticed my TYPO "you MAN need to cup it w/ your hand" should read you MAY need to cup it... yeah, I'd say under DIRECT sun hitting the thing you'd have to shadow it. I have found I am in low light conditions more often w/ my unit than under direct sun. So if its a BEACH unit you're after, you won't need the OLED :D

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I have found I am in low light conditions more often w/ my unit than under direct sun. So if its a BEACH unit you're after, you won't need the OLED :D

:D Yeah.

I do record (and listen) a fair bit in the sunlight so that's why I was curious. Hard-to-see-in-the-sun displays just annoy me. For most average light applications the display seems excellent (and the larger display size is always a plus).

I don't think Sony will abandon these displays anytime soon, but regular LCD still has its strengths for me. Of course if I'm using a non-backlit LCD at dusk, I'm fumbling for a torch :P

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:D Yeah.

I do record (and listen) a fair bit in the sunlight so that's why I was curious. Hard-to-see-in-the-sun displays just annoy me. For most average light applications the display seems excellent (and the larger display size is always a plus).

I don't think Sony will abandon these displays anytime soon, but regular LCD still has its strengths for me. Of course if I'm using a non-backlit LCD at dusk, I'm fumbling for a torch :P

Then your concerns are very legit. Go for the NH900 then! :D

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I also have a piece of electric tape protecting the ever-so-fragile battery door... not sure how the M100's door is, the RH10 uses a gumstick battery.

Ahhh! A fellow tape user! Only I was forced to do it for my RH10 after I dropped it once and broke off one teeny weeny piece of plastic on the inside of the battery slot! So now my door won't close all the way; still works, only I need a piece of ugly masking tape on the same spot where yours is to keep it completely closed. <_<

peace

WaywardTraveller

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Ahhh! A fellow tape user! Only I was forced to do it for my RH10 after I dropped it once and broke off one teeny weeny piece of plastic on the inside of the battery slot! So now my door won't close all the way; still works, only I need a piece of ugly masking tape on the same spot where yours is to keep it completely closed. <_<

peace

WaywardTraveller

Well, I guess I should count my blessings and not complain about my tape... but luckily the black electric tape doesn't stand out that much w/ the rest of the body being black... plus I've learned how to use a much smaller piece of tape now.

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  • 2 weeks later...

assumed. I'm still experimenting with record settings and hookups. I bought a Creative PCMCIA sound card for my laptop and tried some optical recordings of Rhapsody streams but I'm not entirely happy with it. It has a lot of noise and won't pick up any track marks.

Not sure if it matters, but I normally use a Xitel AN-1, http://www.dansdata.com/xitel.htm, on my laptop. It bypasses the soundcard so it's relatively quiet. I haven't tried the optical one, just the analog one. I'm quite happy with it.

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  • 2 months later...

I just got the MZ-M100 and love it.. however besides the easily scratched case that I keep in the bag at all times lol... I have another problem with it

I am usually using it on the fly and keep it in my pocket.. out of it I have the supplied remote and the microphone cable. After using for the past couple weeks I have noticed a scratchy sound on the left side while I'm moving around. I looked carefully at the remote's cable between the remote and the plug and noticed not one... not two... BUT three spots where the wires inside have twisted around each other and have started to chafe against each other and are exposing wires and shorting. I have fixed these spots and shrink tubed them ... but I fear that the problem will arise again.

As a precaution I have refrained from using it unless its in a static environment. But I really like using it on the fly.

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  • 6 months later...

Not sure what the RG1 goes for in Canada, but if I were me I would go with an RH1 and decent Mics, as the RH1 has Mac capabilities the M100 or 200 doen't make a lot of sense except for the sloghtly better phones and a mic.

OTOH the M100 (or it's equivalent non Mac cousin) are pretty good machines) but pale against the RH1.

JMHO

Bob

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